


Rock and a Hard Place

by pherryt



Series: Star Trek Bingo [10]
Category: Star Trek
Genre: Angst, Cave in, Claustrophobia, First Aid, Hurt, Hurt!Bones, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Trapped, Worried!Spock, fatalistic!bones, malfunctioning technology, mental bond, pessimist!bones, scared, star trek bingo, worried!Jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 05:10:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17912597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: How does Leonard wind up in these situations? He's not the daredevil that Jim is, he's the one that patches Jim - and yes, Spock too - up when their adventures are all said and done.But now he's trapped and hurt, separated - by a mere wall of rock that came tumbling down around him - from the love and safety that awaits him.He doesn't think he's getting out of this one... Jim and Spock would beg to differ.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unforth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforth/gifts), [feathers_and_cigarettes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/feathers_and_cigarettes/gifts).



> This bingo square was a long time in the making and is the fault of two people - feathers who randomly picked the square (McSpirk, Trapped or Confined) and unforth who wanted it to be as angsty as possible (and even provided tidbits of scenario that might feel familiar to other squares i've filled, but I think i do a decent job of making this different enough)
> 
> and the reason it took a while is because while working on _this,_ I finally got inspired for a way on how to reinvigorate an older fic I never finished (and hadn't published) and I spent some time working on that. i hadn't touched it in over 2 years and it's now twice as long as before and actually has an ending. i thought it was finished, got it alpha'd and now i need to go back and work on it some more... but it's sooooooo close guys!
> 
> Anyway, it's not quite ready yet, but when it is, it will be linked with this fic and 2 others, so yay!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this

_Hadn’t he been here before?_  Leonard thought muzzily, his eyes straining against darkness.

Sound intruded on his thoughts briefly, but he lost them in the whirl of dizziness that threatened to swallow him.

 “B-es! -ones!”

Something heavy thudded, something else hissed.

“-ones! Say –me-ing!”

His head throbbed and ached.

“Le-rd!”

Actually,  _every_ thing ached and throbbed.

He shifted and screamed and everything fell back into sharp focus.

The cave-in.

Jim.

Spock.

Were they okay?

 _Oh god, let them be okay_ , he prayed. Aside from the fact that he  _hated_ that they got hurt on a semi regular basis, that was bad enough, but if he was hurt too… then as things stood, he probably wasn’t in any condition to fix them if they _had_ gotten hurt.

He wasn’t sure hewas in any condition to fix  _himself_ , for that matter.

A sound pushed against his thoughts and he realized he’d been whimpering from the pain, that there was still hissing and thudding noise coming from somewhere around him – he was too disorientated to tell for sure  _where_ they were coming from – and now he thought…

Yes, he was hearing voices.

Crap. Hearing voices was  _not_ a good sign.

“Bones! Talk to us!”

“Leonard!”

Oh… those voices though, those voices belonged to angels. And not just any angels, but Jim and Spock.

“I’m here,” he croaked, barely audible, then coughed, choking on dust? Blood?  _Dear god, I hope it’s not blood…_ Trying again, he took a deep breath, wincing at the pain in his ribs when he did so. “I- “ _Cough_ “I’m here!”

A whisper of sound, possibly a  _Thank God_ , pushed past a settling noise, the hissing and thudding settling some, becoming less frequent.

“Are you injured, Leonard?” Spock, right to the point, the voice faint and hard to hear.

Leonard grunted, trying to muster up the energy to answer. He tried to move his arms, to brace his ribs this time before he spoke and only found he could move one freely, the other caught on something – or maybe under something, his breath caught and his eyes widened in horror - and only his fingers were moving.

Wrapping his left arm around his ribs, he managed a loud “Yes,” before coughing again. When it passed, he lay exactly where he was and croaked, “Ow.”

There was more hissing around him and he wished he could see. What had even happened?

Right – there’d been some strange flash weather that had driven the four of them into a network of caves, the transporter unable to make it through _something_ that had appeared in the atmosphere along with that weather – Leonard wasn’t sure what. To be honest, he’d kind of tuned out the technical babble Spock tended to _over_ burden them with instead of just sharing the essentials.

Which would get Leonard in trouble some day, he just knew it (maybe even today).

Than that damn kid from security had wandered off deeper into the cave for some godawful reason before they’d realized their communicators were nearly useless unless they were at point blank range.

So, _of course_ , they’d had to go off and look for him.

And then the cave had rumbled…

And collapsed…

And now he was alone, in the dark, trapped, hurt and unable to move.

Feeling down his body with his one free hand – miraculously intact other than some scratches – Leonard held out hope that he’d find his tricorder at least. It was a medical tricorder, and not the all-purpose handheld that Spock used, but it would do what Leonard needed it to do.

If he had it.

If it was working.

When his hand closed over the blocky device, he closed his eyes – not that that made a damn difference – and sighed in relief. Carefully, he unhooked it, dragging it up his body to rest on his chest. Operating it with only one hand would be a challenge, but he was nothing if not determined.

And desperate.

Already, it felt like he couldn’t breath – but was that because the air where ever he was trapped was limited, or because of his injuries? The tricorder, if luck was with him, would be able to tell him.

It would also give off a little light that he _might_ be able to use to his advantage. Two birds, one stone.

No… don’t think of stones right now.

Fumbling, he turned the tricorder on, not holding out much hope for the feeble light, but when it sprang up, Leonard’s breath froze instantly as he took in the rock ‘ceiling’ a matter of inches from his nose.

_Oh lord._

_Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord…_

He twisted his head about, ignoring the sharp twinges of pain it sent through him, pressing his lips tight against the pain and the urge to cry out. He angled the light about as best he could only to discover that he was quite literally trapped in a pocket of stone, not much bigger than a coffin.

Part of his body was, in fact, pinned down by the rock – which explained why he couldn’t move his other arm.

There must be a pocket on the other side if his fingers could move, though.

He held back the whimper at his discovery, but could not help his eyes widening or his breath coming out in quick, panicked gasps.

The ship gave the illusion of more space than there was, with its bright, white curving halls, but this…

This was gonna set him off.

Already was.

He closed his eyes with great effort, struggling to keep them closed once he did, so he wouldn’t get trapped staring at the rocks above him and wonder if they were getting closer.

He forced himself to breath slow and even, to not wonder how much air he  _really_ had.

Panicking would do him no good and may even make matters worse. He needed to take stock of his injuries, to find out if his communicator was working or even within reach.

Distantly, as his panic receded, he heard the faint voices of Jim and Spock and of shifting rocks and his panic spiked once more – if they were digging their way to him… one wrong move, shifting the wrong rock, could bring everything down on him and crush him.

Just like that, his panic returned, his paltry efforts to stave it off having done nothing more than push it just below the surface, waiting to rise up and swallow him.

His breath sped up again as his free hand rose to push against the rock ceiling, as if he alone could keep everything from falling down on top of him. The fingers of his trapped hand scrabbled at nothing, clenching and clawing along the ground as his body jerked to try and pull it back.

A high-pitched chirping sound provided a lifeline, a distraction. It was right by his head, Leonard somehow having come to lay almost on top of his communicator. Still panicking but a part of his mind remembering that the communicator could mean rescue, Leonard’s free hand shifted focus, blindly feeling about his head awkwardly for the small device.

All while he kept a watchful, fearful eye on the rocks above him.

Getting his hands on it was hard, answering it with shaking fingers even harder, but once he did, the welcome voices of Spock and Jim, louder and clearer, washed over him and he almost cried from relief.

“Leonard, you need to calm yourself,” Spock said. “Your fear is blocking the bond and making it impossible for me to help you effectively.”

“Calm? Calm?” Leonard choked out. “I’ve been buried alive, Spock! How the hell do you expect me to stay calm?!”

“Bones, we’re gonna save you, I promise,” Jim said. The words were as confident as always, but for the first time since they’d known each other, Leonard thought he heard pure fear in his voice.

“Can you tell us how bad it is?”

“C-can’t move. I’m half pinned down, literally, and absolutely boxed in. Couldn’t even sit up if I  _wasn’t_ pinned down,” Leonard gasped out. “There’s no space. Not enough space!” He kept his eyes closed, concentrating on their voices, slowly, slowly calming until – yes, there it was, how could he have forgotten it? The bond between him, Spock and Jim resonated with worry and reassurance alike and it did much to soothe him.

Not enough, but it helped.

“Injuries?” Jim asked.

Hadn’t Leonard already answered this question? Maybe they hadn’t heard him? And did they honestly believe he wasn’t injured after what happened? The train of thought only reminded Leonard of how trapped and hopeless the situation was and he couldn’t help himself from lashing out.  
  
"Well, of course I'm hurt! I just had a mountain fall on my head and you think I got out unscathed?" Leonard snapped.  
  
"Of course we don’t, doctor. We are just endeavoring to ascertain the _extent_  of your injuries." Spock's voice had taken on the tone of a parent dealing with an inconsolable child, with near infinite patience. And Leonard would know all about that, having a child of his own from a previous marriage  
  
_Oh lord, Joanna…_  
  
He'd never even gotten to introduce her to Jim or Spock. Their mission of exploration was a five-year tour on the edges of known space, and their relationship had begun partway through. The five years weren’t up and all Leonard had was virtual letters. He’d talked about them to her, but the people he loved most in the world – in the _universe_ – had never even met…

And now he may not even be there if they ever did.

Tears pooled at his eyes and he hiccupped, his lip trembling.

He was gonna die here…

Alone…

"Bones?" Jim called through the communicator. “Oh god, Leonard please, please be all right! How – how bad is it?”

Sniffling, Leonard took a shaky breath. “I don't know,” he admitted finally. “I-I don’t…”

“Try for us?” Jim asked, desperation in his voice.

Leonard nodded – tried to nod – wincing and giving up the attempt. “O-okay.”

His left the communicator open on his chest and slowly grabbed the tricorder that had been sitting there the whole time. Bringing it close to his face, he tried to brace it and prod a button or two, twist a knob and then aim it down the length of his body. Slowly, slowly, he moved the tricorder along his torso, then as far past it as he could reach. It beeped and hummed and he brought it back to stare at the results.

They swam before his eyes.

He squinted, trying to make sense of them.

“Uh… more… more than a few broken bones and gashes,” Leonard mumbled. “C-can’t feel my right leg – it’s pinned down. Not sure if it’s crushed or…” he shuddered, not wanting to think of all the possibilities. Could be spinal damage, possibly paralysis, and depending on how long he was trapped down here… it might not be reversable.

Or he could have a brain injury. Monoplegia would make more sense that way, Leonard noted as he carefully moved his left leg to determine that yes, he _could_ move that one, though it hurt.

There was that hissing sound again, and he finally realized what it must be – sand settling in the cave in. He shuddered and thought oddly of how his panic seemed to have receded. He frowned – not that he wanted it to return, but it was a mite troubling.

“Jim? How are you? Any of you injured?”

“No, no, we’re good. We’re all good,” Jim said quickly.

Too quickly.

“Jim, Spock’s awful quiet over there. He’s never this quiet when there’s some logistical problem to figure out,” Leonard pointed out, his heart rising in his throat.

As if he wasn’t in enough pain.

“Okay, okay, so we’ve got some scratches, and I may have twisted my ankle. But we’re fine, promise! Spocks quiet cause, y’know, he’s doing his Vulcan bond thing, trying to reach out to _you_ , Bones,” Jim explained.

“Oh…” Leonard noted. Now that Jim called attention to it, he could _feel_ Spock in his mind. Not rummaging, because that was rude, but bolstering, building a wall between Leonard and his claustrophobia.

 

“And we found Ensign Heinz – or rather, after the cave in, he found us. He’s helping us move the rocks so we can reach you. It’s slow going though, cause we gotta be careful. We’re trying to make sure we don’t move anything load bearing,” Jim said. “God, you’re _so_ damn close!”

Jim’s voice cracked through the communicator and Leonard’s heart broke, listening to Jim trying to stay strong for _his_ sake.

He wished there was something he could do to reassure Jim – it was _usually_ him that supported Jim during low moments, he wasn’t normally the _cause_ of those moments. Tears pricked at his eyes and Leonard wiped them away with his hand, hoping Jim didn’t hear any of it…

If he did, Jim would only feel worse. It was the last thing Leonard wanted.

He needed to distract himself somehow, but it was difficult when every minor shift reminded him of his injuries and even not moving didn’t do much for the pain. Or the stark reminder of reality inches from his face.

As unable to move as he was, that pain became a persistent ache that spiked anytime he _did_ try to move - except for those places he couldn't feel at all - so Leonard attempted to stay as still as he could.

At least he could keep it from being worse? Right?

And with Spock doing his damndest to keep Leonard calm over their bond, he found himself drifting, tears drying on his face, as he listened to Jim's soothing voice, fading in and out of consciousness.

A part of him remembered that was dangerous but the rest of him couldn’t remember _why_. 

He came back to himself when the rocks above him shifted with a loud, creaking rattle, and a weight pressed in against his chest...

The cave was falling in!

This is it… this is how I die… smothered to death by rocks…Leonard thought hysterically, trying to push up against the stone above him – but now even his free arm was pinned down and his breath was coming hard, choking, gasping -

“Breathe with me bones!” Jim cried. “We’re getting you outta there. Just a few more rocks –"

“Stop!” Bones sobbed. “Stop! The rocks – Jim, I’m gonna die.”

“No, you’re not! We're so close to getting you out of there, I _know_ we are!”

“I ... can’t... The rocks... They’ve moved, Jim... I – I – I can’t – I can’t breathe... I can feel them pressing down! I’m gonna die here. If you keep going, I’ll be crushed for sure. If you don’t, I’ll asphyxiate eventually. There can’t be much air left, Jim,” he gasped out, tears springing to his eyes once more. “Either way, I’m doomed.”

He whimpered then, fingers scrabbling uselessly, pushing, pushing, pushing…

“Please, Len, please,” Jim begged. “Please calm down so we can _help_ you.”

“I love you,” Leonard choked out. “You and Spock and... And Joanna. Could you... Promise me you'll tell her for me?”

“You’ll tell her yourself,” Jim promised.

Leonard’s hands finally stilled, balling into fists as his eyes rolled about scanning each inch of stone. Dirt fell on his face and he coughed and choked on it, unable to wipe it away

_There! Was that another tremor?_

“I’m gonna die,” he sniffled. “I’m gonna die and I’m all alone.”

“Right here,” Jim said softly. Leonard screamed as something touched his unseen hand.

“Just me! It’s just me! We've uncovered enough to find your hand. I knew we were close,” Jim’s fingers wrapped around Leonard’s and he sobbed in relief at the touch, gripping onto Jim’s hand for dear life, for human contact, needing to  _not_ be alone.

“Oh bones,” Jim said softly.

Leonard’s breath froze at another shifting rumble and his hand spasmed in Jim’s.

A second hand joined his, hot to the touch – Spock – and like that, Spock’s presence in his mind was stronger, Jim along for the ride as they both tried to project calm and reassurance across their three-way bond.

“Do ya… really think…  _now’s_ a good time fer kissin’, Spock?” Leonard teased around the tears, desperate to stop thinking about the rock closing in on him.

 _Actually_ closing in on him, not the imagination of an unreasoning, implacable fear.

Dirt dribbled down over his face and he choked as the loose, heavy stone pushed further down, each breath becoming a laborious chore he was no longer sure was worth the struggle.

His vision faded as Leonard couldn’t get enough oxygen, he gasped, no longer able to speak, his fingers clutching desperately at the two hands holding his.

Jim and Spock’s voices seemed far away.

Too far away, despite their actual proximity – the barrier of the cave in notwithstanding.

He struggled to breathe, but it was getting harder and harder to pull in a single breath, his lungs burning with effort, and Leonard drifted…

Faded…

And all went black.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

“Bones!” Jim shouted.

The communicator had suddenly cut out just a bare few minutes before, and now there was a blank spot in Jim’s mind where he’d gotten used to feeling Leonard – not his thoughts but just… knowing he was  _there -_ and now he  _wasn’t._

He gulped, clutching at the lax fingers in his hands and staring up at Spock in horror.

“Spock, he’s –“  his voice cracked and he barely noticed the security ensign watching everything with wide-eyes, realization and pity and guilt all flitting across his face. “Is he - ?” Jim couldn’t make himself ask. To lose Bones would rip him to shreds as much as losing Spock would. It wasn’t a fear Jim usually had to face, in Leonard’s case, the doctor too pragmatic and pessimistic to put himself in danger as willingly as Jim did.

If this was what Leonard faced every time Jim stepped off the ship…

Well, it would explain a few choice words Bones had tossed at him over the last few years.

“He’s not dead, merely unconscious. But he won’t last much longer,” Spock looked at Jim more soberly than Jim had seen in a long time. “We have to risk it if we’re to save him.”

“We could crush him,” Jim said, staring at the pile of rubble helplessly but he knew Spock was right.

The storm that had driven them into the cave, that had messed with their equipment and prevented Scotty from reaching them via transporter, was still raging outside.

If the cave pocket Leonard had been trapped in had remained stable, they could have probably waited it out, but as it was, it had deteriorated too fast. He’d only been trapped inside for less than an hour, all of which had felt like an agonizing eternity to Jim.

Probably felt worse for Leonard.

Jim had never realized how bad Leonard’s claustrophobia was, before. He’d known that Leonard didn’t like enclosed spaces, but he’d managed. And now to be trapped within his worst nightmare – Jim wished to God he could have kept it from happening, that he could take the nightmare away and wake him with happy promises and warm kisses, pushing all the bad away.

He couldn’t. This wasn’t that kind of nightmare. It was real.

“Okay,” Jim croaked – not that he needed to verbalize for Spock’s sake. The Vulcan could likely feel through the bond how scared Jim was for Leonard and that he agreed with Spock. But he’d had to say it aloud, for his own sake.

“You and Ensign Heinz will need to be ready,” Spock cautioned. “My readings show that this stone here is load bearing and is the last real impediment once the rest is cleared away. Once the ensign removes it, I will brace the opening. You will need to grab ahold of the doctor firmly and pull hard and quick. Speed is essential, Jim. Don’t let any sounds of distress stop you. I am aware that this may make whatever injuries he sustained worse than they are, but the odds are better for him this way.”

Jim nodded. “Okay, yeah, you’re right. This is better than allowing him to die a hairsbreadth away from salvation.”

“At least this way, Leonard has a chance, and hopefully his injuries are not so critical that waiting for the Enterprise to rescue us – “

“Don’t – don’t say it. Let’s just get this over with,” Jim breathed. “Let’s get him out of there, Spock.”

“Indeed.” 

Jim squeezed Leonard’s hand – more to comfort himself than to comfort Leonard, who wouldn’t even notice it at this point – and watched Spock remove evidence of the cave-in, directing Heinz towards the places that it was safe to excavate.

How long had it been? How long since Leonard had drawn in a breath? Panic wrapped tight around his chest – Jim’s fears had never been for himself, but for those he cared for.

Too long. It’s been _too long_ , he thought, watching Spock and Heinz anxiously before his eyes drifted down to where his hand held Leonard’s. He was able to see a little more of Leonard now. The pale face, the closed eyes and his all too still chest.

He shifted closer, reluctantly dropping Leonard’s hand so Jim could as far as he could to get a grip on Leonard’s upper body.

They had to move fast. The last rock to move was the one pinning Leonard’s leg in place. Jim could see it now as Spock shifted to brace the opening. And when it moved…

The one pressing on Leonard’s chest would fall completely. Jim had to hope that it wasn’t already pressed so close that he couldn’t pull Leonard out of there.

It might be, if it had made it too difficult for Leonard to breathe.

Jim swallowed, tightened his grip and watched Spock for the signal. Spock took a deep breath, then nodded at Ensign Heinz.

Everything moved fast.

Heinz pulled at the rock, face distorting in effort, Spock’s shoulders and upper body tensed as he took up the slack of the weight – he wouldn’t be able to hold that for long, and they all knew it, Vulcan strength or no – and Jim pulled –

\- And pulled –

Arms straining, teeth grinding, desperation dotting his brow with sweat, Jim pulled with every ounce of strength he could muster.

He saw Leonard’s shirt tear, saw blood bloom at the drag of his skin against the pressing rock but he couldn’t let that stop him or Leonard would be crushed by that same rock.

A rumble echoed through the cave, threatening to take away one of the most important things in Jim’s life –

With a burst of hidden strength, he pulled Leonard free, collapsing onto the cave floor with Leonard sprawled brokenly atop him, gasping, drawing in ragged breaths of air.

Jim nearly sobbed in relief.

Leonard was breathing!

A loud rumble hit his ears, a grating crash that sent up dust, dirt and debris. He heard choking and coughing and then Spock was by his and Leonard’s side, sliding Leonard off Jim and onto the ground, freeing Jim to scramble up onto his knees beside an all too pale Leonard.

“Oh god,” Jim choked. He looked Leonard over, the shallow breathing, the bleeding gashes, the leg bent at an all too unnatural angle. Something glinted on his chest and when Jim realized what it was, his breath caught.

The medical tricorder, crushed beneath the weight of the cave, lay in pieces, some of it embedded into Leonard’s skin.

Jim stared.

Where did they even _start_ trying to patch him up?

“Jim,” Spock said calmly _– too calmly_ , Jim thought – a hand coming to rest on Jim’s shoulder, dragging his eyes up from Leonard to meet Spocks deep brown eyes. “Leonard will recover.”

Nodding shakily, Jim closed his eyes briefly to center himself, using Spock as his rock to do it, feeling the soothing presence of the Vulcan in his mind.

He opened his eyes and grinned with way more bravado and confidence than he actually felt. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Pulling off his shirt, Jim contrived to tear it into strips. It may not be the cleanest of bandages, but it was better than nothing. Leonard’s medical kit was lost in the cave in, which included the dermal regenerator, the bone knitter – whatever that was called again - and all the diagnostics tools and whatever else he always had up his sleeve.

Like a hypo. What Jim wouldn’t do to ease some of the pain Leonard must be in.

“I am… attempting to alleviate that somewhat for him,” Spock said, his words strained.

“Heinz, don’t go far but, do I recall correctly that there was a pool of water in this cave?” Jim asked, looking about for something that he could use as a splint on Leonard’s leg.

The security man jumped up, apparently eager and grateful that there was something he could do. “Yes, there was!”

He scrambled away as Jim removed the shreds of Leonard’s shirt, picking off as much of the debris as he could while the ensign was gone. Taking a strip of cloth, Jim wiped the blood on Leonard’s chest away to see how badly he’d been cut. Most were shallow, the bleeding already stopping from the scrape Jim had caused to pull Leonard from the cave in.

Jim’s hand hovered over the gash by Leonard’s ribs. That had soaked through his shirt long before Jim tore it to shreds and it was still bleeding sluggishly. Swallowing, he bent to bind the wound with the cloth when Heinz returned.

“Captain, use this.”

Jim looked up to find the ensign shirtless, a soaking wet shirt in his hand, torn into larger, jagged strips then what Jim had made with his own.

“Good thinking, Ensign.”

He took one and used it to wipe Leonard’s wounds clean as best he could, then proceeded to wrap the worst of the wounds – first laying down the wet, cleaner cloth, then using his own dry pieces to tie them in place. It was slow work, but thankfully, there weren’t a lot of bleeding gashes to worry about.

What was more problematic was the broken bones. Wrapping the gash on his ribs also took care of the broken ribs, Leonard crying out as Jim jostled him with Heinz’s help to properly do so.

Jim winced.

How much pain was he in, that even with Spock doing his best to ease and suppress it, Leonard still felt it?

At long last, all that was left was Leonard’s leg.

How the hell was Jim going to splint that?

What if… he used Leonard’s other leg? It wasn’t like the other man was going to be getting up and walking anywhere, right? For lack of any other ideas, Jim proceeded to do just that, first straightening out the leg and doing his best to ignore the heart wrenching sounds Leonard made.

At last, he sat back on his heels and surveyed his handiwork.

It wasn’t the prettiest sight and Leonard was still out cold, but it was done. God but he hoped they could get Leonard back to the Enterprise soon. Jim brushed a hand along Leonard’s cheek. It was damp with sweat, his breathing still far too shallow for Jim’s peace of mind, but now that Jim was no longer manhandling him, the pain lines on Leonard’s face had eased.

Which brought him to look up at Spock, who knelt rigidly beside Leonard, his own eyes closed, his lips parted and his breathing matching the doctors. Strain showed on his brow from his efforts to pain block for Leonard and Jim ached at the realization that there was no way for him to help ease Spock’s burden.

Both of his bondmates were in considerable pain and there was nothing he could truly do for either of them. Jim sighed and rubbed at his face in frustration, slumping beside them. now that he wasn’t so focused, the throbbing in his ankle made itself known. Idly, he wondered if he should have taken his boot off and wrapped it but he was afraid if he did, he wouldn’t get his boot back on and they needed all the mobile people they could get if something _else_ went wrong.

At this point, that was Heinz, but Jim would do in a pinch.

He would gladly wreck his ankle further by pushing it past it’s limits if there was _anything_ he could do for Spock or Leonard.

“I’m sorry, captain,” Heinz said quietly. “I never meant for this to happen.” The sound of his voice echoed in the cave strangely, bouncing off the walls despite his efforts to be quiet.

Jim looked at the scared looking Ensign who was staring at Leonard.

Leonard, as gruff as he was, had a way of touching people’s lives. Jim shouldn’t be surprised that the young ensign was concerned for the doctor as well.

Sighing, Jim answered. “I know, Ensign.”

Heinz looked back up at him. “I just wanted to make sure the cave was safe – we didn’t know how far back it went, what could be lurking there – “

“I get it,” Jim said harshly, cutting him off. He didn’t blame the security man. He didn’t. It was a smart, tactical move even if Jim didn’t like the end results.

But he wouldn’t relax until Leonard was safe and sound in sickbay getting properly treated.

Hell, he wouldn’t really be happy till he was able to curl up with Leonard and Spock together and pretend this had never happened.

“How long before you think the storm ends and we can get out of here?” the ensign asked tentatively.

“Not too much longer, I hope.” Jim glanced back the way they had come, the entrance of the cave hidden from sight around a bend in the rock. That was the worst part – they hadn’t even gone that far in when the cave in had occurred. Had it affected anyplace other than just here? Were they, perhaps unknowingly, trapped within the cave itself? Leonard’s tiny pocket traded for one a little larger and perhaps somewhat more stable?

When the storm was over, would there be any lingering affect to their instruments? Or had it been the caves themselves that messed with their communicators?

If that was the case, they’d need to move Leonard. If the communicators couldn’t reach the ship, they wouldn’t be able to signal for beam up much less get an accurate location for beaming.

Levering himself to his feet, Jim winced as he put weight on his ankle. Heinz scrambled up beside him.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Stay here, kid. Keep an eye on them. I’m just going to walk over there and take a look – see what I can see,” Jim assured him.

“But you’re hurt,” Heinz blurted.

“So I am,” Jim shrugged. It didn’t make a difference. He wasn’t hurt nearly as bad as Leonard. Wasn’t in as much pain as he or Spock must be in this moment. He was glad that Spock could give Leonard _some_ comfort, at least, because Jim heartily wished he had some of his own. He _needed_ to be doing something.

So he would.

He limped across the cave floor, trying not to stumble on any of the myriad loose rocks and the uneven ground, till he reached the curve of the cave wall. He stepped around it, but couldn’t immediately see the entrance from here.

Looking back, Jim hesitated.

It was wandering off that had gotten them into this mess to begin with but… his eyes fell down on the still prone form of Leonard.

But for Leonard’s sake, he had to take the risk.

He stepped out of sight to the shout of “Captain!” but he didn’t look back a second time. Ignoring the pain shooting up his leg with every step – Leonard had it far worse than he – Jim came around the bend and sagged against the wall.

The storm was over. But there was no sign of the Enterprise crew.

Then again, the crew wouldn’t know where they’d holed up. They’d have beamed down to the last known coordinates which _wasn’t_ the cave.

Jim reached for his communicator and flipped it open. “Kirk to Enterprise.”

There was static, but he thought he heard a voice, a welcome one, through the noise. He pushed off the wall, walking closer to the cave mouth. The static eased as he did, the whole thing confirming his theory about the cave, and he tried again. “Kirk to Enterprise.’

“Enterprise here,” Uhura’s voice was that of an angel. “Where are you, captain?”

“We’re in a cave system about a kilometer’s walk west of the landing site.”

“Found you.” She said. there was a pause. “I’m only reading one life form?”

“The rest are further inside. I’ll get them moved closer so you can lock onto us,” he paused. “Lieutenant, we’ll need a direct beam to sickbay. Have Chapel and M’Benga on standby.”

“Of course, captain,” Uhura said after a brief pause. “We’ve already got a second landing party on their way to you, if you require any assistance.”

“We do, thank you. Kirk out.” Jim snapped the communicator shut, every inch of his being yearning to rejoin Spock and Leonard and make sure they were okay.

It was stupid, because he knew already they weren’t.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long before Sulu and a couple of redshirts appeared before him.

“Captain!” Sulu called, striding forward, nary a blink at Jim’s shirtless state. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Further in,” Jim said. “Follow me.”

He turned and limped back towards the others, doing his best to hold back the wince and pick up his pace. The sooner they could get out of here, the sooner Leonard could get treatment.

“You’re hurt,” Sulu pointed out.

“It’s nothing,” Jim said gruffly, brushing it off. He led the way in silence back around the bend, relief flooding him upon seeing that there’d been no further disasters while he’d been gone, though if there’d been another cave in, he was sure he’d have heard it.

He heard Sulu suck in a breath at the sight of Doctor McCoy, covered in red and gold makeshift bandages, lying all too still.

Jim ignored him and finished making his way over to Leonard, Spock and Heinz. Leonard’s breathing was still shallow, but he was, at least, still breathing. Spock was still in his trance and much as Jim hated to do it, he put his hand on Spock’s shoulder, shaking gently.

“Spock, helps here. We have to move Leonard now.”

Spock blinked his eyes open slowly, Leonard moaning as he did. He nodded, getting to his feet. Sulu’s security detail, considerably fresher than the rest of the original landing party, darted forward to pick Leonard up but Spock halted them with a single glance.

Setting his feet, Spock carefully picked up Leonard as if he weighed no more than a feather. He strode forward with no hesitation, everyone scrambling to keep up. Jim took a step forward, his eyes not leaving Spock’s back, or the limp form of the doctor, and he stumbled when his injured foot stubbed itself on a rock. He nearly fell, but Heinz caught him, pulling Jim’s arm over his shoulders.

“I’ve got you, captain,” Heinz grunted, helping him walk forward.

“I feel largely useless,” Sulu commented with a shake of his head. Nevertheless, he came up on Jim’s other side and helped Heinz, the other security personnel following carefully, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Jim kept his eyes on Spock and Leonard.

“What happened?” Sulu asked as they approached the entrance.

“Cave in. Bones was trapped inside the fallen rock. We got lucky it didn’t kill him outright, but it was unstable. He’s been unconscious since just before we got him out,” Jim grunted.

Sulu whistled. “Well, once we get you all on board, I’m sure Doctor McCoy will be right as rain.”

“I sure as hell hope so,” Jim said quietly.

Sulu let go of Jim to signal the ship, but Jim didn’t pay any attention, walking over to Spock and Leonard and grabbing Leonard’s hand, searching his face. He was restless now, pain and sweat lining his face, his fingers grabbing hold of Jim’s tightly.

“I am unable to prevent the full brunt of the pain from impacting Leonard without a deep trance. I’m… doing what I can,” Spock said softly.

“I know. I know you are, Spock,” Jim said.

The familiar tingling of light, sound and sensation surrounded them, and the planet dissolved around them before being replaced with sickbay.

There was a single instant of shock and quiet before the room exploded into controlled chaos, Jim and the rest being shunted aside.

Spock as well as soon as he was relieved of his burden.

And then… nothing.

Another team of nurses Jim was less familiar with pulled the original landing party aside to check them over. Aside from scratches and bruises, Jim was hurt the worst and they made him sit on a bio bed while attending to his ankle.

Spock sat quietly nearby, composed and unharmed, if a little dirty, but the spot residing in Jim’s mind labeled “Spock” was in turmoil, unbalanced. Jim knew Spock needed to meditate after what he’d done for Leonard, but wouldn’t allow himself just yet.

Jim pushed at his own mind, sluggish and thick as it was, to send some comfort to Spock. It came easier, now, than it had when they had first bonded. Even easier when Leonard had joined them, but Jim felt it was still a struggle sometimes.

But some struggles were worth it, as he watched a slight tension in Spock’s shoulders relax, though he didn’t think anyone else would have caught it, when gratitude and love flowed back over the bond easily, the spark that was Spock brightening once more.

Now all they had to do was wait for Leonard’s spark to rekindle. That blank spot in Jim’s mind was different then when Leonard slept and it bothered him greatly, worried him into nausea.

He’d be okay. He had to be okay.

Spock took his hand gently, briefly and squeezed before dropping it once more, but if he sat a little closer to Jim on the biobed, their bodies brushing against each other, then nobody mentioned it and Jim took the comfort where he could.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

When Leonard next opened his eyes, his mouth was dry and the beeping was getting on his nerves.

How the hell was he expected to sleep with all that infernal beeping?

He grumbled and shifted and arms came up to push him back down.

“Easy, Bones, easy,” Jim said, hovering over him. Leonard looked up and Jim’s face broke into a smile so brilliant it took Leonard’s breath away.

“What are you so happy about?” he grumped, despite being secretly pleased to see Jim that happy.

Jim spluttered. “What am I so - ?” he blinked and gaped at Leonard so long it made him squirm.

“Jim?” he asked, trying to sit up again. “What’s going on?’

Another set of arms eased him up, supporting him gently and he turned to see Spock on his other side looking… equally happy?

What in tarnation was going on here?

“Doctor McCoy, if you don’t lay back down right now, I will sedate you,” Nurse Chapel said.

“Why would you need to sedate me?” he asked, blinking at her and looking around. He was most definitely in sickbay which accounted for all the damn beeping. He looked down to find his leg trapped in a regen cast and finally, the events of the day flooded back into his mind.

“Oh,” he said softly. He flushed red with embarrassment as he recalled how badly he’d freaked out when trapped in the rock. It had been a long time since his claustrophobia had hit him like that.

And if it hadn’t been for Spock, it would have hit him even harder.

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about,” Spock said, knowing Leonard well enough to interpret the hot blush on his cheeks. Or he’d read his mind, but he knew Spock wouldn’t do that without permission.

“Sure, I don’t. You’re not gonna lecture me at how illogical it is to be afraid of confined spaces?” Leonard asked.

“Claustrophobia is not often a fear to be reasoned with, as most fears are not, and may even have legitimate root causes. Despite this fear, you have always persevered, showing great strength and courage. You certainly had every right to be frightened in that cave, earlier today. Why would I lecture you?” Spock asked as he lowered Leonard back to the bed.

“Feelin’ pretty lectured right now,” Leonard muttered, though his cheeks now flushed for another reason, a reason he knew Spock and Jim could both feel, and he felt the sudden need for physical comfort, something that would only be awkward to do here, with witnesses. And not only for Spock’s sake, but Leonard had a reputation to maintain. “When can I get outta here?”

“Not for a few hours yet,” Chapel said. “And only if you promise to stay off your leg for another 24 hours after that.”

“Don’t worry, nurse,” Jim cut in with a grin. “Spock and I can guarantee it.”

“Fuck my life,” Leonard groaned.

“Later, Bones,” Jim smirked. “Don’t think you’re quite up to it right now.”

“Jim,” Spock admonished and Jim just beamed at him unabashedly, his usual charm peeking out.

Strangely, the interchange did more to relax Leonard than anything else and he sighed in contentment, his eyes drifting shut again. There was a touch on his shoulder followed by a hiss and the low level ache that had been making itself known faded off again before it could develop fully into the pain his body was really feeling.

A hand clasped his – Jim’s, he knew - and warmth flooded through the bond form both Jim and Spock. Leonard let his exhaustion pull him back under, content that they were all safe once more and he wasn’t alone.

Everything was going back to normal.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rebloggable [ tumblr link ](https://pherryt.tumblr.com/post/183049554706/pherryt-rock-and-a-hard-place-star-trek)

**Author's Note:**

> p.s. watch for Tobias Heinz. i named him for the as of yet unpublished fic using a random name generator... and didn't even realize what I had named him for way too long.
> 
> Heinz, the random redshirt. on an original trek fic. so i decided he would be "the random redshirt who lived" and he may start appearing in other fics too :D


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